


Franken-motor

by Belzime



Category: modao zu shi, 陈情令 | The Untamed (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Lan Wangji is a sentimental man, M/M, Mechanic WU, No Beta we die liek wei wuxian, Proofreading? Never heard of her, Wen Ning will always third wheel Wangxian even when there are spare tires around, mechanic AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:20:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26659615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Belzime/pseuds/Belzime
Summary: Lan Zhan's car is the oldest Lemon Wei Wuxian has ever seen, and the man refuses to just get a new car already! He keeps bringing it to Wei Wuxian to repair because he is the only mechanic who can.Also there's a performance with Xiao Zhan in a jumpsuit, and Wang Yibo in a jacket that was just begging somebody to write a Mechanic Wei Wuxian AU.
Relationships: Wei Wuxian/Lan Wangji, Wei Ying/LanZhan
Comments: 7
Kudos: 72





	Franken-motor

**Author's Note:**

> Here's a link to the outfits that haunt my fluff-brain. 
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2G-KnIe6iMc 
> 
> Eggregious flipping between use of names and never once describing these guys. Published at 3am-ish like all fanfics.

Wei Wuxian rolled out from under the car and grabbed a rag to wipe his hands off, “Be honest. Do you want the bad news or the good news first?” Lan Zhan blinked at him. “Good news is your break pads hardly look worn down at all, and your tires say you’re the type to actually rotate them. The interior is practically perfect—you’ll have a few storage-related repairs before long— and that’s about all of the things that don’t need fixed. Your engine looks like it’s maybe half a year from a permeant dirt nap, your transmission’s going to need work sooner than later, you’re low on windshield wiper fluid, but sure I can replace your battery and get your alternator working, if that’s what you want.”

  
The man who two hours prior had introduced himself as Lan Zhan, courtesy name Lan Wangji, inclined his head, “Please”, he said, extending his shiny black credit card. 

  
The Mechanic shrugged, smiled, and ran his card through the reader. “She’s pretty old so I can make something of a franken-nator out of the existing parts and some of my own designs. It should run better and you don’t have to worry about finding an exact match for her in the future. But mark my words, Lan Zhan. You’ll be back for that transmission in a month.”

  
“Another shop has looked at my transmission and deemed it fit to run.” Lan Wangji said.  
“And that’s why you’ve come here,” the mechanic winked. The tips of Lan Wangji’s ears burned pink. He busied himself with brushing invisible dirt off his slacks. “Ah, Lan Zhan. You really should just get a new car for the trouble this beautiful mess is going to cause you.”

____________________________________________________

“Wei-gongzi, a Lan-gongzi is asking for you.” Wen Ning called over the garage’s music. Wei Wuxian was always impressed that his shy friend could project his voice over the deafening volume of music rattling through the garage. How Wen Ning had ended up as a mechanic’s assistant was….still the tragic product of a mix up of criminal records that were still being sorted and sealed. But until the man was able to get his nursing degree to help his sister at the hospital, Wei Wuxian appreciated the extra help, especially when it came to lifting the plethora of heavy car parts. The guy might look timid as an aspen leaf but he could dead lift a small engine without seeming to break a sweat!

  
“Coming, coming!” He grinned. His Lan Wangji! He was really looking forward to seeing that flawless jade face and trying to parse out his micro-expressions and meanings from how his eyes burned molten gold. The man had a face like he wanted to slam Wei Wuxian against a wall whenever he recommended buying a new car. Wei Wuxian thought he might like to let him. “Ah, Lan Zhan! I’m so pleased to see you again. Let me guess. Your transmission?” he grinned.

“…Mn.” Lan Zhan said.

“Well, let me take a look. You’ve had a couple of weeks to do some damage. Let’s see how bad it’s gotten.” He followed the man outside in silence, content to watch fitted slacks pull tight against muscular thighs and the most glorious ass Wei Ying had ever seen outside of his own mirror until he had to pop the hood on the blue Chevy Zephyr. The thing had definitely seen better days. Decades ago. Wei Wuxian read the transmission fluid’s level. “When’s the last time you toped this off?”

“Shortly before the last time I was here.” He replied.

“Lan Zhan. That was two weeks ago. Your fluid shouldn’t be this low from just that. Something’s leaking in here. Give me the keys and go wait by Wen Ning. I’ll take her apart and see what I can do.” Wei Ying shook his head.

Last time Lan Zhan had come to him because another shop deemed “insufficient in providing parts" to repair the relic of a car had recommended him. Information gleaned off his customer survey that the mechanic might have read a liiittle too closely after interacting with the stoic man. Wei Wuxian pulled the car into the shop and got to work examining its innards. Everything inside of it was either breaking down or about to, barely keeping together from somebody else’s patchwork hold-over. He’d need to create a new transmission to work with the old parts, like a new battery hook-up for compatibility. Both to make his life easier and because the thing looked ready to explode. There were other parts that would need fixing. But those could wait.

\- - - - - - 

  
“Lan Zhan!" he called," I’m going to need to replace two parts; the transmission is cracked and your battery won’t hold up much longer after I fix it. You’re lucky! I’m going to customize the parts to work for your car since they don’t make them anymore. And I’ll even take 10% off labor fees. Keeping costs down, should be cheaper than trying to track antique parts down.”

“Mn, thank you.” Lan Zhan inclined his head.

“Sure, anything for my favorite customer.” He winked. Wei Wuxian did not miss how the man’s ears tinged pink at the edges. “If you want to sign consents with Wen Ning I’ll get started right away. I’ll have her for a couple days, so he can get you set up with a rental. Unless you’d rather spend the week here with me.” He grinned. 

“Shameless” Lan Zhan said, just tipsy off the laugh that followed.

____________________________________________________

“You’ve been leaking Lan Zhan. Again. Your car, I mean….unless you just couldn’t help thinking about me. Then I suppose you couldn’t help it.” Wei Wuxian winked.

“Boring.” Lan Zhan muttered. Wei Wuxian wanted to sink his teeth into the pink tips of the man’s ears. He was just too cute!  
  


"Ah, Lan Zhan. You’ll see some day! Not today because I’ve got work to do on your car. But some day you’ll have coffee with me and see how good of a match we are. Now move over so I can get under your hood.” He said, shooing Lan Zhan away.

____________________________________________________

“I can see where you must have had rust eating away at your undercarriage. Lan Zhan, just how old IS this car? And how did it end up in such a state? It’s a labor of love to keep driving a thing like that, why not just replace it?”

“Costs money.”

“If you’re really worried about money, you’d go for one of those fuel-efficient ones they make these days. Everything about you screams safe, responsible driver so I can’t imagine why you wouldn’t want something with all those new safety features that are designed to crumple in a crash so you don’t take damage from impact. Lan Zhan, one of the seat belts was clearly chewed through by something.” He pats the pale blue hood which thunks sad sounds back.

“Can you replace the seatbelt?”

“I mean sure, but—”

“Then I don’t see what the problem is.” Lan Zhan said, cutting Wei Wuxian off and shoving his credit card in the man’s face.

Wei Wuxian got the message and for once shut up and swiped the card.

___________________________________________________

“Why don’t you replace it?” Wei Wuxian asks again a few weeks later. 

  
“Costs Money”

“Not nearly as much as it must cost repairing it ever what, six weeks?” Wei Wuxian tilted his head to the side, not once breaking contact with those blazing golden eyes as he asked, “Lan Zhan do you even know how to check your oil? The rate this thing’s been leaking, I can guarantee you’ve been getting scammed at those shops that just top you off or replace it. Sure, it looks level until you take it home, then you’re burning blue smoke in your combustion chamber.”

The tips of Lan Wangi’s ears went red and his eyes continued to blaze. His frozen face as the only thing in the man’s posture that Wei Wuxian was sure wasn’t screaming out in frustration or some other unnamed emotion.

“Lan Zhan,” he said gently placing a hand on the man’s arm, “Tell me why you really keep this car. Why this one? It’s important to you. Why?”  
Lan Wangji looks at him hard for a moment. “It was my mother’s car.” He admits.

Wei Wuxian goes all soft and his eyes grow large. “Oh, Lan Zhan.” He says, “I’ll help you.”

“You will?”

“Of course. It’s important to you.” He says and looks at Lan Wangji with such earnest silver eyes that he can’t help but believe him. “But! I refuse to replace your klunker part by part.”

Lam Wangi looked at him with the most betrayed expression Wei Ying had ever seen. “I’m going to overhaul it.” He grinned, “No more visiting me for our weekly dates. I don't know how you'll survive without me evrry few day but you'll have to learn. I’m going to redesign all of the old parts so she runs better than when she was new.”

“Wei Ying.” Lan Wangji says, mouth slightly open,“I—Thank you.” He bows.

“Ah! Lan Zhan! None of that!” Wei Wuxian catches his arms and straightens his friend, “Come on, we’ll go over the details. I can guarantee that she’ll run for at least 10 more years when this is over.”

___________________________________________________

Wei Ying was sitting on top of Wen Nin’s desk trying to convince him to dye his hair “fun” colors while he still could. He was about to convince the poor kid to get pink streaks when Lan Wangji walked in, holding the most adorable little bunny tumbler he’d ever seen, and an obscenely large grandpa-looking thermos of what he hoped was coffee.

“Lan Zhan!” He yelled, “You can not possibly have a problem with her! She’s not due for an oil change, and there’s no way there’s anything wrong with her unless someone opened her up and messed with my parts. I designed and installed them myself, Lan Wangji.”  


“Mn. She’s perfect. Wei Ying is brilliant.” Wei Wuxian watched Lan Wangji’s mouth curl up into the world’s smallest, sweetest smile. He had to brace his hands against Wen Ning’s desk to prevent himself from pooling into goo.  


“Lan Zhan!” He whined, “You can’t just SAY things like that!”  


“Mn. I shall try to remember to warn Wei Ying first.” He smirked and Wei Ying was nearly undone.  
Wei Wuxian scratched his nose and brushed his hair behind his ear. He hoped he wasn’t too greasy. “So, Lan Zhan, what are you here for, then?”

The statue of a man thrust out his thermos into Wei Ying’s chest. “Coffee.”

“Ah” Wei Wuxian’s face burned up into his hair line, “ Lan Zhan! I thought you were going to warn me.” He muttered just under his breath. Then louder he said. “Thank you! I’m glad you decided to come back.”

“Of Course.” Lan Zhan said, taking a sip of his own tumblr.

“I didn’t think you would want to be friends when our work relationship had resolved.” Wei Ying said, taking a sip of his coffee. He moaned at the rich tase. “Ah this is perfect.”  


“I don’t” Lan Zhan said.

“What was that?

“I don’t want to be friends.” His former customer repeated.

“Oh” Wei Ying said, feelign his stomach drop straight past his knees. “Then—“

“I would like to date you.” Lan Zhan admitted, ears bright red blushing down through the hint of collar bone Wei Ying could see past his shirt.

“Yes!” Wei Ying breathed, then, “Lan er-ge! You promised you would warn me!”

“Apologies, Wei Ying.” Lan Wangji said. “I am about to ask you something. May I kiss you?”

“God yes!” Wei Wuxian grinned, throwing himself into Lan Wangji’s arms.

"Um, Wei-ge?" a timid voice broke in, "Could you please make our with Lan-gongsi in your office and not on my desk?" Wen Ning asked. 

Wei Wuxian had forgotten he was even there. So had Lan Zhan if the man's tightening grip, bright red ears, and not subtle glare over Wei Wuxian's shoulder had anything to say about it.

____________________________________________________

“You know, Mechanics usually have old cars for a reason.” Wei Wuxian said off-handedly. “We just drive whatever because we can fix it if it breaks. But our spouses? Their cars have to be in perfect condition. Nothing is allowed to break or wear down.”

“Mn.” Lan Zhan handed his husband a fresh mug of coffee and kissed the part of his hair. “You just want me in your shop.”

“That too!” Wei Ying laughed. “I want you everywhere with me, Lan-er-gege.”

“I want Wei Ying, too.” He said.

  
Wei Wuxian hummed. “Let’s go for a drive next weekend. We can see how well the parts are holding up…see if we can break the suspension. Have you stumble into my shop all over again.”

“Mn.” Lan Zhan agreed, “Anything Wei Ying wants.”

**Author's Note:**

> Lan Wangji is always shown as grieving on the series, withe for his mother or Wei Wuxian. The man loves deeply. And I could really not see him NOT doing absolutely everything he could to preserve and save his mother's car, including going to a mechanic with a reputation for making franken-parts work. 
> 
> Whenever I learn to read I'll go back and pick at this. Until then, I really appreciate any feedback on if and what you liked, and if and what you didn't like or thought didn't work. I researched a lot about cars for this; despite driving one regularly O hardly know anything about them.


End file.
